Obamacare or the new Affordable Care Act has managed to stay in news for the last 6 months. As the deadline, March 31st, for signing up under the new Act fast approaches; the debate has gotten even more intensified. It won’t be harsh to admit that the government started with an unrealistic target. It was at first estimated that Obamacare will receive more than 6 million sign ups and most of them will come from young individuals and hence the risk factor for the new Act will be greatly minimized. Later on the government realized that 7 million is a surreal figure and hence they revised the target to 6 million sign ups. But even with this new and revised target, Obamacare is facing troubles.

According to the latest reports, only 4 million people have signed up for Obamacare. With less than three weeks left for the deadline to expire, Obama administration is falling short of two million enrollees. What’s even more troubling is that the young American citizens have not shown a considerable support in favor of the new Act, hence the risk factor that the Obama administration ignored now looms at large. Whether the target figure of 6 million signups will be achieved or not is a question that can only be answered after the deadline expires, so for now let’s focus on what Obamacare has to offer. In this article we will discuss some of the positive aspects of the new Affordable Care Act.

Underwriting banned:

Underwriting is the favorite tool of insurance companies for mitigating the risk factors involved in the insurance business. For those who do not understand the term ‘Underwriting’, it is the practice of denying coverage to anyone who has a pre-existing medical condition. Insurance companies have used the practice of Underwriting extensively and have even denied coverage on natural and harmless conditions such as acne and pregnancy. To some readers the practice of Underwriting will appear as nothing but nonsense and that’s exactly what the government perceived it as. According to the new Affordable Care Act, insurance companies have been barred from denying coverage to anyone based on some pre-existing medical conditions. This is a very welcoming provision of the new act, especially for those who have serious health ailments. Previously it was difficult for cancer survivors to get private health insurance, in most of the cases they had to rely on the last resort insurance providers. Even though you can get insured from a last resort insurance provider but the premium costs that you end up paying are much higher. But from now on insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage to anyone based on his/her medical history.

Great benefits for women:

The new Affordable Care Act showers a lot of benefits on the fairer sex. According to the new Act, it has been made mandatory for insurance companies to provide full coverage on screening tests related to Cervical Cancer. Considering the fact that Cervical Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women, this provision will definitely help in screening the cancer at an early stage.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Too Many Unnecessary Biopsy in the UShttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsFri, 20 Dec 2013 01:22:35 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=478An investigation conducted by the University of California, San Francisco found that too many Americans have had unnecessary thyroid biopsies. The investigators collected and analyzed data of 8,800 patients who had thyroid ultrasound scans. The report from the investigation concluded that 98% of thyroid nodules on the 8,800 patients were not cancerous. JAMA International Medicine published a copy of the report.

The lead investigator, Dr. Rebecca Smith Bindman of the USCF stated that “Right now, we’re doing far too many thyroid biopsies in patients who are really at very low risk of having thyroid cancer.” The study recommended that patients should not be recommended for biopsy unless the imaging test shows that the thyroid nodules have microcalcification. Microcalcifications are tiny flecks of calcium on the nodules. According to the investigators, this would lessen the number of people who will undergo unnecessary biopsy.

The investigators emphasized that biopsy is an unnecessary procedure and unnecessary cost for many patients. Moreover, being recommended for biopsy also causes a lot of anxiety for patients. Patients must also take time off from work. All these can be avoided if new guidelines will be adapted by doctors.

As demonstrated by the investigation, a new guidelines is necessary. At present, there is high rate of thyroid nodules in the US today. It is therefore necessary to find guidelines that are more cost efficient and less invasive. Moreover, in women thyroid nodules are usually benign. There is no need for women a lot of women to spend money and be under a lot of worry for something that is less likely to be cancerous.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Many Drugs are Safe for Breastfeeding Mothershttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsThu, 05 Dec 2013 01:21:41 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=476The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Drugs recently published a clinical report stating that many of the medications today are safe for breastfeeding. The AAP Committee on Drugs also stated that taking the drugs poses more benefits than the risk of possible harm to the babies. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, mothers are “inappropriately advised”. They are told to either stop breastfeeding when taking medication or not to take medicine when breastfeeding.

Many women are in fact misguided. They decided not to breastfeed their children because they are taking medication. They are worried about the adverse effects of the drugs on their babies. What they do not know is that the benefits of breastfeeding far outweighs the danger of taking medications when breastfeeding. Many of the drugs today are safe for breastfeeding while the benefits of breastfeeding include short and long term health benefits for children. Children who are breastfed, for example, have low risk of infection, asthma and sudden infant death syndrome. Children who are breastfed also grow up healthier.

According to Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, it is difficult to classify which drugs are safe for breastfeeding. This is because it is always a case to case basis. As such, it is a risk benefit decision. What they want to emphasize is that many of the drugs today are safe. More importantly the benefits of breastfeeding are something that every mother should consider. The report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Drugs identified the drugs that may potentially harm breastfed children.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Stuttering is Normalhttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsWed, 20 Nov 2013 01:21:10 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=474One in every ten children suffers from stuttering by the time they reach the age of four. These children are quite normal, according to the new Australian study. The study found that children who stutter are as normal as their peers. In fact, the study found that in general they are even better than their non-stuttering counterparts.

The study was led by Sheena Reilly of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Parkville. She concluded that parents of children who stutter should not be worried, “Stuttering onset is relatively common but parents can be reassured that developmental stuttering is not associated with poorer outcome in the preschool years at least.”

The study was conducted using 1,600 children from Melbourne, Australia. The researchers asked the mothers of the children to answer questions concerning their babies from since they were eight months old. The children were then assessed based on language and behavior scale. Speech pathologists identified children with stuttering. Overall, children who stutter scored 2.6 points higher than non-stuttering children on non verbal intelligence. Moreover, the researchers concluded that stuttering may in fact be a sign of advanced or improved language skills. The researchers added that “This is a period in which a child’s motor speech system is challenged to keep pace with the phenomenal rate of language acquisition.” As such, children who stutter try to keep up with the pace.

The study is very helpful in understanding the connection between stuttering and mental development, particularly when it comes to language skills and acquisition. Moreover, it aims to help children who suffer from the stigma of stuttering.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0New Obesity Drug Allows You to Eat as Much as You Wanthttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsTue, 05 Nov 2013 01:20:26 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=472It may be too good to be true but that is what the new obesity drug promises. Overweight and obese patients can eat as much as they want without gaining weight because the drug makes the body produce less fat. At the same time, the drug also burns off excess fat from the body. With this new drug, there is no need for anyone to go on a diet and to engage in regular exercise just to lose weight.

The new drug by a private US company Zafgen Inc. targets the body. It changes the composition of the body so that one can remain healthy and not produce fats. Unlike the other dieting drugs or weight loss drugs, this new drugs do not require patients to control what they eat. Although the drug is not yet released on the market, Zafgen sees that there will be no problem with approval. According to the company, the drug is safe so far. The company sees no major concern so far.

The medical implication of this new drug is also very significant. People can remain healthy because their body will not produce fats. Moreover, the drug is very different from the anti obesity drugs that are available today. The anti obesity drugs attack parts of the hypothalamus. This is the area of the brain that affects the appetitie of the individual. This is also the area of the brain that is responsible for happiness. Depression is therefore one of the side effects of anti obesity drugs. This is not the case with the new drugs from Zafgen Inc.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Babies Remember Words from the Wombhttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsSun, 20 Oct 2013 01:19:47 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=470Recent findings have shown that fetuses can hear and can remember words while inside the wombs of their mothers. When the babies in the womb hear the same words frequently, they are able to distinguish and remember the words. The authors of the study stated that the brains of fetuses can already adapt to the sounds they hear around them. This demonstrates the capacity of humans for early language development and listening skills.

The study was conducted by Minna Huotilainen, of the University of Helsinki’s Finnish Center of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research, and colleagues. The researchers emphasized that the study proved that fetuses start learning as their brains develop. At the very young age, while their bodies are developing, they are also starting to learn about how the other members of their families communicate.

To test the hypothesis that fetuses can hear and remember the words they hear while they were in the wombs, the researchers used the three syllable word tatata. 33 fetuses were then exposed to the word at 29th week of pregnancy. After the babies were born, the researchers scanned the brain activities of the babies while hearing the words. The babies demonstrated a very strong reaction to the word. From the brain scan, they even recognized the changes in the intonation of the words when the researchers changed them. The study proved that the fetal brain can already be exposed to learning. For many mothers, it means that they should start talking and communicating with their babies even if the babies are still in the womb.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Anti Smoking Conseling Benefits Kidshttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsSat, 05 Oct 2013 01:18:56 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=468According to the United States Preventive Task Force, anti smoking counseling to children and teens are effective. When primary care physicians talk to kids about the bad effects of smoking, they listen. Primary care physicians therefore play important role in reducing the risk of smoking on children and teens.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated that new research has found that behavioral counseling by primary care physicians is very effective. According to Dr. David Grossman of the USPSTF,” The good news is that we have solid evidence that primary-care clinicians can help their young patients be tobacco free. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The good news is that behavioral therapy can be anything from personal counseling to phone call. Family or group counseling is also as effective. The physician does not have to spend a lot of material and time resources to provide counseling. A simple phone call will do or a short talk during the patient visit. However using educational materials, such as videos, print materials, newsletters, and others are even more effective.

Since the recent research has found that patient counseling is effective, the good news is that it is now possible for doctors to help kids stay away from smoking tobacco. Doctors can easily provide the right counseling since the materials needed for counseling are low cost and can easily be implemented. The United States Preventive Task Force published a recommendation to doctors on its website. The recommendation is also published at the Pediatrics Journal.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Medical News: Medical Marijuana Program Fees have been Proposed by Massachusettshttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsTue, 01 Oct 2013 15:08:05 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=456The Department of Public Health or DPH Massachusetts has proposed a fee structure for the self-financed industry of medical marijuana. The said proposal supports the patients’ access without even depending on the resources of taxpayer. In certain medical news Cheryl Bartlett, acting DPH Commissioner, said that the program is going to be self-sustaining with the fees on registered patients and dispensaries for marijuana. The patient registration fee proposal is said to be affordable. Moreover, the dispensaries and patients have to pay a fair share.

The fees to be collected are intended for meeting the operational requirements of the said program like employee recruitment and instructing inspectors to remain on track in the industry. DPH will create an online system for inspecting and enrolling the eligibility of a participant. This announcement made by DPH has been reported in different medical news.

In other news, the fees are known for setting the operating costs which makes the voters agree to the neutral law revenue. The regulations about draft fee stated that the $1, 500 non refundable fee is in charge o the marijuana dispensaries who are registered while another $30, 000 non refundable for 2nd phase.

Some news also stated that the registration fee of $50 will come from the qualified patients. People who are qualified for the license for hardship cultivation are required to pay for the $100 extra fee every year. There will be no fees to be paid by the personal caregivers as stated by the medical news report.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Heavy Coffee Drinking Helps Men with Prostate Cancerhttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsFri, 20 Sep 2013 01:17:53 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=466A recent study has found that heavy coffee drinking can help men with prostate cancer. The study found that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day prevents prostate cancer from worsening or returning. Although the study did not find any correlation between coffee drinking and prevention of prostate cancer, the study is promising for a lot of men with prostate cancer.

Drinking a lot of coffee a day prevents the cancer from recurring or worsening at a rate of 59%. The research was done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The result of the study was published at Cancer Causes & Control. The study used more than 1000 prostate cancer patients, ages 35 to 74. The study was conducted over an eight-year period. It was found that there was a strong correlation between coffee drinking and the progression of the disease.

However other medical experts emphasized that although it was found that there is connection between coffee drinking and the progression of the disease, it does not mean that coffee drinking can prevent the onset of prostate cancer. According to Dr. Matthew Galsky of Icahn School of Medicine, “It is important to recognize that establishing an association does not confirm causality.”

The researchers did not identify whether the coffee that the patients drank were caffeinated, decaffeinated, brewed or any other type of coffee. They added that further studies are warranted to prove the preventive properties of coffee. As for drinking tea, the study did not find any relationship between the disease and drinking tea.

]]>http://oddi.net/feed/0Daily Dose of Medical News – Predicting Cancers By Studying Genes’ unnatural behaviorhttp://oddi.net/
http://oddi.net/#commentsSun, 15 Sep 2013 20:42:37 +0000http://oddi.net/?p=424Latest medical news from Science Translational Medicine reported that according to scientist there’s a new break-through on how to deal with cancer cells and keep track of tumors. According to the medical news article – A group of medical experts from France (CNRS, Institut Albert Bonniot de Grenoble, Université Joseph Fourier) work hand in hand with antomopathologists and doctors of the CHU de Grenoble.

According to the researchers there’s a common pattern in all cancers – which is the unusual actuation of various genes, which is specific on some tissues. The example mentioned in the said medical news says that tumor cells in lung cancer where found to express certain genes, which are identical (and unusual) to the male sperm cells.

A supporting medical news from The BUMC (Boston University Medical Center) states that lung cancer on its early stage can be tracked by conducting nasal genetic expression.

This, according to the authors, is a very intriguing medical news, and they are currently conducting more research on how to exactly identify the genes showing unusual behavior. According to them, doctors and medical practitioners will certainly find this medical news inspiring because it will help in providing correct diagnoses and proper medical attention.

But despite the fact, scientists will be needing more proof to educate the public the relationship between cancer virulence and wrongly gene expression.